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When we head back to school, we’ll also be heading back to Silent Hill. Konami revealed the Silent Hill f release date during the June 2025 State of Play. It launches on September 25, 2025. The announcement also confirmed pre-orders will go live today.

An extended gameplay trailer appeared during the showcase. In it, we see the lead heroine Hinako Shimizu wandering through town. At the start, someone calls out to her. However, she also suggests Hinako was a traitor somehow. We then see her dealing with supernatural opponents around town.

Here’s the full footage from the presentation. While there are some cinematic scenes, a lot of it seems to be actual gameplay of Hinako trying to survive in a corrupted town:

And you can see the whole June 2025 State of Play showcase below:

Silent Hill f is a multiplatform game, so we’ll see it on plenty of places come its September 2025 release date. We’ll even be able to take it on the go. Konami already confirmed back in April 2025 that this will be compatible with the Steam Deck. 

Silent Hill f will come to the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and the release date is September 25, 2025. 

The post Silent Hill f Release Date Falls in September appeared first on Siliconera.

There could be news soon on a new Silent Hill game, as the South Korean Game Rating and istration Committee (GRAC) issued a rating for Silent Hill f. In an announcement shared on January 21, 2025, it appeared among 85 games addressed by the agency between December 1-31, 2024. [Thanks, Gematsu!]

The classification number for Silent Hill f is CC-NP-241212-004 is listed as in the pdf file accompanying the notice. The application date shown was December 4, 2024, and it seems a decision was made on December 12, 2024. The rating is listed as “ 청소년이용불가,” which is shown as the 19+ rating from GRAC. (Its other ratings are All, 12+, and 15+.) 

In the Motoi Okamoto 2025 New Year’s message shared with 4Gamer, the developer said he hoped to share additional news on Silent Hill f in the future. As a reminder, this is the spin-off written by Ryukishi07. However, we haven’t heard too much about it since its 2022 reveal during Konami’s Silent Hill Transmission broadcast.

Here's that original teaser trailer for the game:

The last Silent Hill game to appear was the remake of the second entry by Bloober. It ended up including some new elements, like an additional ending. That showed up on the PS5 and PC in October 2024.

Silent Hill f is in development. 

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A new announcement from Ryukishi07 will appear on August 2, 2024 according to a Tweet made on the official 07th Expansion X (Twitter) . Additionally, the Tweet shares that whatever Ryukishi07 plans to announce will be his first experience with this kind of work. No further information was shared.

Ryukishi07 is the creator of both the Umineko: When They Cry and Higurashi: When They Cry; paranormal visual novels set in a distinct location, with some interconnecting narrative threads that do loosely tie the series together. Higurashi: When They Cry has received several anime adaptations, with the most recent having released in 2017. The last Umineko: When They Cry anime adaptation appeared in 2009. Both series have received manga adaptations.

However, most notably, Ryukishi07 is currently tied to Silent Hill f. Silent Hill f is a new installment in the Silent Hill series, which will take place in a Japanese village outside of the titular town. Little information has been shared concerning Silent Hill f. This includes a general scenario synopsis or list of potential characters that will appear. Silent Hill f was announced in 2019.

Silent Hill f is in development. A new announcement involving Ryukishi07 will appear on August 2, 2024.

The post New Ryukishi07 Announcement to Appear in August appeared first on Siliconera.

MangaGamer announced at Anime Expo 2024 that it picked up the Ryukishi07 game Rose Guns Days for an English release. There’s no release window for it yet, but it will appear on both Steam and the official MangaGamer site.

Rose Guns Days is broken up to four chapters when it released between 2012 and 2013 in Japan, which were originally referred to as seasons, and the English release will follow that pattern. MangaGamer noted they will remain as four chapters. It will also be an HD-upscale project, with the new 1280 x 960 4:3 resolution. People will be able to play it in Chinese, English, or Japanese.

The title is set in an alternate reality. In WWII, Japan surrendered to the Allies. As such, life is quite different in the country and the country is overrun by people seeking to control it. However, things may change when Leo Shishigami, who fought in the war, meets Club Primavera’s Rose Haibara.

Here’s the opening movie for the Ryukishi07 game. 

While the game was never localized and released worldwide until this reveal, one of the manga series based on it was. Yen Press picked up one of them and released volumes in the series. However, the other manga adaptations weren’t localized.

This isn’t the only new Ryukishi07 game on the way. The developer is also working on Silent Hill F. 

The four Rose Guns Days chapters will come to PCs outside Japan.

The post Ryukishi07 Game Rose Guns Days Will Appear in English appeared first on Siliconera.

The Higurashi When They Cry experience is a powerful one. From its sound novel roots and anime adaptation to now the Higurashi When They Cry: Gou manga localization, it forces people to reconcile cute characters and quiet country life with the mysteries and events before them. The first volume essentially offers its takes on the Onidamashi and Watanagashi “question” arcs, and it doesn’t hold back in its retelling of the events.

Editor’s Note: There will be mild spoilers for volume 1 of the Higurashi When They Cry: Gou manga below. 302s67

Volume 1 of the Higurashi When They Cry: Gou manga sets the tone with three color pages that allude back to the original Onikakushi ending. So even though someone could maybe go into the game or anime blind and have no idea about the nature of the story, there’s no ambiguity here. The fact that Yen Press also used color pages for this portion hammers it home. No matter how cute the characters may be in the ensuing pages and how calm rural Hinamizawa may be, it isn’t. Something’s coming.

But initially, this setup seems great! Keiichi is happy with small town life. It seems like there’s a chance for love with the girl-next-door Rena. There’s a small community of people in Hinamizawa, but they get along well with their friends Mion, Satoko, and Rika. All of the Higurashi When They Cry: Gou characters look adorable, and it practically feels like a slice of life comedy with Satoko’s pranks, the group picnic, and Rena’s excitement of finding the Colonel Sanders KFC mascot statue at the dump. (Kenta-kun!)
[caption id="attachment_973101" align="alignnone" width="408"] Image via Yen Press[/caption]
However, it’s when they meet Kenta-kun that Keiichi also meets the photographer Tomitake mentions a murder. Keiichi learns a brutal assault happened when the government attempted to build a dam there. He tries to ask Rena and Mion about it. That’s when we see the perfect execution of Tomato Akase’s art, as it shows how these characters that were previously adorable a few pages ago suddenly take on this horrifying slant. It’s so much so that it’s otherworldly, and especially evocative due to the fact that these depictions can shift so swiftly. Especially in the case of Rena, who’s set up as the “cutest” character for this first part of the story.

In the second part of volume 1 of the Higurashi When They Cry: Gou manga, the story shifts to Mion. We get to see another side of her, following a chapter dedicated to Rika and her perspective on current events. What’s fascinating is that this one focuses on how well Keiichi and her also fit together. However, we’re also abruptly introduced to Mion’s twin, Shion. But due to the nature of the story and the execution of the art, it leaves us with a whole other sort of mystery. Who is Keiichi spending time with? How are they connected? What is going on with Mion and Shion?

It’s intriguing in that it’s presented as an entirely different type of horror. We’re still seeing how unsettling things are. The situation in Hinamizawa is still uncomfortable, even as much of the story is focusing on Keiichi’s growing relationship with the twins. Again, it not only offers a fascinating comparison in of art, but when juxtaposed against what we just experienced in the Onidamashi storyline.

With the Higurashi When They Cry: Gou manga, we get a whole new retelling of the story. It's one that captures what matters about the story, and all of the situations and mysteries they face. It maintains an atmosphere that can sometimes feel so normal, then drastically shift in tone. It does so in such a way that the artistic direction feels perfect either way. As a result, no punches are pulled and the story remains as powerful as ever.

Volume 1 of the Higurashi When They Cry: Gou manga is available now, and volume 2 will be out on October 17, 2023.

The post Higurashi When They Cry: Gou Manga Doesn’t Hold Back appeared first on Siliconera.

The Steam Autumn Sale is on, and includes a developer-wide discount on games by 07th Expansion, the group led by Ryukishi07, future writer for Silent Hill f [Thanks, Wario64!]

The 07th Expansion developer sale puts a temporary cut to prices on all the games offered on Steam by the studio. Discounts range from 10% off to 50% off. In some regions, this puts the minimum price for some items at under $2 USD.

The 07th Expansion games on sale include the episodes of the Higurashi When They Cry series, as well as the Umineko When They Cry titles, and the latest game in the franchise, Ciconia When They Cry. The only game not discounted is the first chapter of Higurashi When They Cry, because it's already free.

Higurashi When They Cry is a murder mystery set in the sleepy rural town of Hinamizawa. Keiichi Maebara, a new arrival in town, learns that murders and disappearances accompany the annual Watanagashi festival, and that the town is thought to be "cursed" by its guardian deity, Oyashiro.

Umineko When They Cry takes place on a private island, where the wealthy clan Ushiromiya has gathered to negotiate an inheritance. Unfortunately for all involved, the "Golden Witch" Beatrice is involved in the proceedings. A fighting game, Umineko: Golden Fantasia, is also on sale.

Only the first "phase" of Ciconia When They Cry has been released so far, with four episodes planned. Rather than the 1980s periods favored by Higurashi and Umineko, Ciconia is set after World War III, and follows young "Gauntlet Knights" as they try to prevent World War IV from breaking out.

Check out the full list of games in the 07th Expansion sale at this link. Prices can vary based on region and currency. The Steam Autumn Sale ends on November 29, 2022.

The post 07th Expansion Dev Sale Highlights Games from Silent Hill f’s Writer appeared first on Siliconera.

Japanese horror is one of my favorite genres. I'll read Otsuichi or Junji Ito right before going to sleep. The weirder and gorier the story, the better. On the flip side, I like to have a little bit of a buffer between watching a horror movie and shutting down my brain for the night. Until I played Iwaihime, I couldn't pinpoint exactly why this was. Now I know.

Imaginations get to run wild when we read horror stories. Our brains use memories to fill in those background bits of information, like the growls of hungry monsters lurking in the shadows. Maybe they'll create blood-curdling screams echoing in that empty forest cabin. We'll hear metallic clattering of dangling chainsaws.

Iwaihime starts off all sunshine and rainbows. The soundtrack features familiar background music, with light and cheery tunes during school scenes and walking about town. Melancholic moments are highlighted with more somber tunes. Like other visual novels, I am aware the BGM and sound effects are subtly enhancing my experience. Music aids in the shift of story tone in ways some people may be oblivious to making it such an essential part of entertainment.

When each story takes its dark turn, you know things are about to go down. Menacing compositions accompany haunting and disturbing imagery. But it's the sound effects that really make your stomach turn. Whomever they chose as the foley artist for Iwaihime is a bonafide sound genius. The first night I played Iwaihime, it was the crunching and snapping of bones wriggling around in the back of my head that got me. I laid in bed playing sudoku for thirty minutes as I attempted to make myself comfortable, but all I could focus on was that horrible sound. The second evening's sleep was marred by squishy sloppy suctions, the kind that make you grimace and gag.

By the time I finished my third session, I realized a palate cleanser between this gruesome visual novel and pulling the blankets over my head was a new requirement. Something needed to distract my brain (or perhaps simply "mute" it) in order to let my dreams keep me from worrying that I'd crushed my ankle again. Been there, done that, and still can't walk on it for long periods of time.

Regardless, I am in love with this seriously messed up visual novel. Each girl has her own uniquely twisted tale to tell and, as Suzumu, I will save them all or die trying. And as soon as I end each session, I'll hug my Umaru plushie real tight and drink some hot chocolate with a splash of something to calm my brain. Then, we'll do it all again the next day until I unlock all of those Steam achievements.

Iwaihime is available on PCs via Steam worldwide.

The post The Sounds of Iwaihime Stick With You appeared first on Siliconera.

The time has come. The Iwaihime English version is here. It’s available now on Steam for $29.99, and so is its $7.99 DLC chapter Musubihime. Though, if someone picks up the game or add-on by October 30, 2020, there’s a 10% discount that drops the prices to $26.99 and $7.19.

In Iwaihime, players follow Susume Susuhara, a young man living alone who just transferred to a new high school. It seems normal enough, except for a classmate with a supposedly cursed doll named Toe Kurokami. She always carries it with her, and players will get drawn into the mystery surrounding her. The story comes from someone quite experienced at building suspense, as When They Cry creator Ryukishi07 wrote it.

To help get a better idea of what to expect from this otherworldly tale that also mixes in traditional kid in high school elements, here’s the Iwaihime opening movie. It also introduces the avatar and classmates like Toe, Tsubakiko, Kanae, Riria, and Natsuya.

And here are some Iwaihime screenshots. There’s a mix of scenes you’d expect from normal high school life and ones where, well, things seem clearly wrong.

[gallery columns="6" ids="856822,856823,856824,856825,856826,856827,856828,856829,856830,856831,856821"]

Also, while this is the awaited English release, it isn’t the only language available for the game. You can also play the visual novel in Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese too. The Steam version has Achievements to earn as well.

The Iwaihime English version is now available on PCs via Steam.

The post Iwaihime English Version Arrives to Curse People Ahead of Halloween appeared first on Siliconera.